Arkansas delegates to the Democratic National Convention cast 37 votes for Barack Obama during Democrats’ official roll call to nominate their presidential choice this afternoon.

Eight votes went to Hillary Clinton, who earlier Wednesday released her pledged delegates to vote for Obama if they so chose.

Rebecca Gwatney, who announced the state Democrats’ votes inside the convention hall, said they heeded Hillary Clinton’s call for unity within the party.

Clinton won the state’s Democratic primary overwhelmingly on Feb. 5. Before Wednesday, her pledged delegates from Arkansas outnumbered Obama’s nearly 4-to-1.

Initially, the secretary of the convention incorrectly announced the state’s tally as unanimous for Obama.

State Rep. Steve Harrelson, D-Texarkana, who is seated with the state’s delegation, said Gwatney’s microphone was mistakenly cut off before she read the vote totals.

Here is her statement in its entirety, courtesy of the Democratic Party of Arkansas:

On behalf of the great state of Arkansas, the adopted home of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the state that provided her with her largest margin of 70 percent in the 2008 Democratic primary, and a state with an admiration for Bill and Hillary Clinton that is unmatched throughout this country, I am proud tonight to follow Sen. Clinton’s call for unity, and to unite behind Sen. Barack Obama and elect him the next president of the United States.

Arkansas casts 37 votes for Barack Obama and eight for Sen. Clinton.

Together we will take back the White House.

Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Rebecca Gwatney

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 at 5:02 pm and is filed under Conventions, Democrat Convention 2008. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.